CIVIL SECTOR STUDIES
Faculty of Humanities, Charles University in Prague
General Information
STUDY OBLIGATIONS
Doctorate studies are carried out according to an individual study plan under the guidance of
a supervisor.
The obligations that the student must fulfil during doctorate studies are stated by the individual
study plan. The student produces this plan at the start of the studies together with the supervisor.
The individual plan is approved by the Council for doctoral studies.
INDIVIDUAL STUDY PLAN
The study plan states the topic of the Ph.D. thesis which is in accordance with the scientificresearch orientation of the doctorate field Civil Sector Studies. The emphasis on independence
at the commencement of the studies relates to the request to increase the responsibility of the
student for his/her own education and studies.
The Student information system– SIS contains the form of the study plan. After it is filled
in, the plan is printed and signed by the student and the advisor and submitted to the
Institute of doctorate studies which submits it to the Council for doctoral studies for
approval. This plan is a compulsory document by which the study is governed.
The final version of the plan (with the signature of the supervisor) must be submitted at
the beginning of October (the actual date is always stated for the academic year in which
the studies start!).
1.) Compulsory parts of the study plan
a) Systematic creative scientific work on the topic of the Ph.D. thesis.
The topic of the Ph.D. thesis is derived from the scientific-research orientation of the Ph.D.
studies Study of the civil sector and is stated after the doctorate is agreed with the supervisor.
The proposed topic must be approved by the Council for doctoral studies.
The Ph.D. thesis contains a critical analysis and an evaluation of existing literature and the
original results of the applicant’s own scientific work. The Ph.D. student contributes by
motivationally processing the topic to develop the field.
b) Passing obligatory and compulsory optional subjects.
The student must pass all Compulsory subjects and at least one compulsory optional subject.
Compulsory doctorate subjects do not overlap with the previous degree studies historic
sociology or other study fields at FHS or other UK faculties.
Compulsory subjects
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Seminar on Methodology I. (Theory od Social Sciences)-one term, prof. Havelka; dr.
Skovajsa
Seminar on Methodology II. (Methodology of Empirical Research on Civic Sector)one term, dr. Pospíšilová; doc. Frič
Essential Theoretical Approaches to the Study of Civic Sector-one term, doc.
Dohnalová; dr. Skovajsa; doc. Müller.
Doctoral Seminar-6 terms.
Compulsory optional subjects
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Economic Analysis of Civic Sector Organizations-1 term, doc. Dohnalová; prof.
Kuvíková; doc. Průša.
Civil Society in Contemporary Political and Social Theory-1 term, dr. Skovajsa; doc.
Císař.
Students pass compulsory subjects in the first year of study. The exception is the doctorate
seminar which continues throughout the normal study time.
The student selects the compulsory optional subject according to the direction of the doctorate
project and students should pass it during the second year of study, preferably in the third term.
Students will be allowed to include into the individual study plan and to pass the second
compulsory optional subject.
c) Passing subjects classified as compulsory.
The Council for doctoral studies can assign other subjects to the student as compulsory on
the proposal of the supervisor from the range of FHS or other UK faculties. They are
subjects,
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that deepen the necessary knowledge of the student on the basic discipline stated by
the Ph.D. thesis topic,
that explain the topic of his/her Ph.D. thesis in the wider relations of civil sector
research,
concern the theory of social sciences and methods of empiric civil sector research a
knowledge of which is needed to produce the Ph.D. thesis in accordance with
scientific methodology.
The compulsory passing of subjects (teaching) is defined for each student after consultation
with the advisor individually according to the topic of his/her Ph.D. thesis, passing the degree
and the knowledge and abilities for which the student was accepted for the study. The doctorate
studies teaching program supports the theoretical and professional knowledge and abilities that
the student needs to prepare a high-quality Ph.D. thesis using methodological procedures.
The teaching is mainly organized as the study of recommended literature, consulting with the
Ph.D. thesis advisor and other recommended consultants and possibly carrying out other tasks
according to the terms of the subject and the recommendations of the advisor.
d) Other compulsory parts of the study plan are given below in: “Other obligations“.
2.) Recommended parts of the study programme
a) Passing subjects extending the knowledge of students on topics related to the direction of
their Ph.D. thesis. They are selected after consultation with the supervisor from the range of the
Faculty of humanities or other UK faculties or possibly other universities.
b) Passing study or research educational stay at a foreign university or the research institute,
dealing with the topic of the student’s Ph.D. thesis.
c) Participating in research or development projects of the Department of social society and
other workshops of FHS UK.
These recommended parts will be included in the individual study plan according to the needs
of the student’s education, his/her interests and after agreement between the student and the
supervisor.
Other obligations
 At the beginning of the first term, produce an individual study plan confirmed by the
supervisor.
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By the end of the first term, produce and defend the theses of the Ph.D. thesis before the
Council for doctoral studies. The theses have the following compulsory parts:
specification of the problem, brief summary of existing investigation, formulation of
objectives, main hypothesis or research issues, used research methods, proposed
schedule and time plan.
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At the end of each year (no later than the 30th September of the academic year or earlier
dates stated by the faculty) produce a written report about passed examinations and other
study obligations and the procedure of the Ph.D. thesis. This report accompanies the
report of the supervisor about the course of cooperation. This report is called the
evaluation of the doctorate and is part of the UK Student information system.
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Every year a presentation at the doctorate seminar dealing with the procedure of the
Ph.D. thesis – in the first year focused on a summary of the existing investigation into
the issue of the Ph.D. thesis, in the second year – a discussion of the methodological
problems of the research and/or basic theoretical approaches used in the Ph.D. thesis, in
the third year, a presentation of the results of the research and their evaluation and
interpretation.
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At least one presentation at an international conference with a paper dealing with the
topic of the Ph.D. thesis.
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At least 2 publications of the results of the Ph.D. thesis published or accepted for
publication in reviewed magazines of which at least one is foreign, one of the results
can be published in a foreign reviewed monograph. Publication records must be
consequently loaded into the record-keeping application of scientific results at UK FHS
(https://verso.is.cuni.cz/) so they are recorded in the RIV database according to the
Research and development board.
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Gathering sufficient knowledge of English and maybe other world languages.
These obligations are included in the individual study plan.
STATE DOCTORATE EXAMINATION AND DEFENCE OF THE PhD THESIS
Description of the state doctorate examination
The doctorate student, after getting the supervisor’s approval, submits four topical areas to the
Council for doctoral studies from which issues will be formulated during the state doctorate
examination and a list of study literature for each field. All areas must correspond to the
scientific – research orientation of the doctorate field Study of the civil sector. The literature in
the lists must contain standard and actual papers about the national and international issue.
The examination includes a discussion of the issues by members of the commission on the
approved topical areas submitted by the doctorate.
Proposal for PhD thesis topics
 Schools of democracy: civil associations in Czech society from the perspective of
contemporary neo-tocqueville theory.
 Analysis of foreign concepts of social economy (organisation of the civil sector as social
enterprises) focused on a description of the difference of the approach in the USA and
Europe.
 Comparable analysis of Czech and Slovak organisations of the civil sector as social
enterprises.
 Organisation of the civil sector as a tool or brake of Europeanization? Comparable study
of selected types of organisations.
 New forms of the activities of foundations at the beginning of the 21st century: study of
the changes of large American and German foundations and their affect on the practice
of Czech foundations.
 Local civil sector – the task and role of civil sector organisations based on an analysis
within the regions of the Czech Republic.
 Participation of civil sector organizations on the integration of foreigners and
minorities in the Czech Republic.
 Forms and topics of self-organized political protest in the Czech Republic after 1989.
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Voluntarism from 1970 to1989: authentic forms of association and voluntary activity
in the late phase of the totalitarian regime.
Trade union organisations and supra-national firms: dynamism of mutual relations in
the Czech Republic after 1989.
Prospects of education to citizenship and civil education in the Czech education
system.
Possibility of transforming the organisation of the civil sector in the Czech Republic
for social enterprises.
SUPERVISOR
The supervisor determines the theme of the Ph.D. thesis and, along with the student, compiles
a proposal of the individual study plan for approval by the Council for doctoral studies. They
continuously check the meeting of study requirements by the student, and regularly consult
their study results with them. Supervisors write a short evaluation on the student’s progress
once a year, and in the event that the student does meet their study requirements, they have the
right to recommend the termination of study or other steps to the Council for doctoral studies.
In their first year, students have the right to request a different supervisor or dissertation theme;
such requests must always be warranted, and discussed and approved of by the Council for
doctoral studies. Changing supervisors in higher grades is allowed only in exceptional cases.
STUDENT I.D. CARD – LOGIN INTO THE INFORMATION SYSTEM
Students may choose between two types of student I.D. cards when enrolling at Charles
University:
• Charles University Student I.D. Card
• Charles University Student I.D. Card with the ISIC license.
Every student is required to choose which variant of I.D. card they want, either the Charles
University Student I.D. Card or the Charles University Student I.D. Card with the ISIC license
(International Student Identity Card).
CONTACTS
Ing. Jana Jeníčková, Ph.D., Vice-dean of PhD degree study programmes, Faculty of the
Humanities at Charles University, U Kříže 8, 158 00, Prague 5.
Tel: 251 080 351; E-mail: jana.jenickova@fhs.cuni.cz
Assistants of vice-dean:
Bc. Tereza Šustková: tereza.sustkova@fhs.cuni.cz
Anna Puobišová: anna.puobisova@fhs.cuni.cz
Guarantor of Civil Sector Studies: doc. Ing. Marie Dohnalová, CSc.
E-mail: marie.dohnalova@fhs.cuni.cz.